Air-valve for steam-radiators



AIR VALVE FOR STEAM RADIATORS. N0. 317,818. Patented May 12 18 I l HTI llllllllllll|l|IlllllllllllmlllIIIIIllllllllllllllllllli" ummm ` IINiTn risica..

AIR-VALVE FOR STEAivi-RADIATORS. .Y

SPECIFICATION formingrpart of Letters Patent No. 317,818, dated May 12, 1885.

Application iiled December 10, 1884. (No model.) Y

.To LZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES I. MARSH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Valves or Steanx-Traps, oi' which the following, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

In the drawings,'Figure l is a side view or elevation of an air-valve or steamtrap embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section in, the plane of the line .r x of Fig. 1, viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow there shown. Fig. 3 is a section in the plane of the line or x' of Fig. l, viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow shown at that line. Fig. 4 is a detail, the same being `a side View of the valve and reamer. Fig. 5 is alike representation of the spring wire or rod connecting the head-piece or top plate to the basepiece. Fig. 6 is a detail, being a top view of the valve-plate and its cylinder 5 and Fig. 7 isa detail, being a side view of the lower part of the steam-tube.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

My invention relates to that class of air valves or steam-traps commonly employed in connection with steam-heaters, and which are operative owing to the contraction and expansion of some of their parts. v

My invention has for its object the further improvement of valves or traps of that class, in the respects hereinafter more fully set forth.

A represents the bottom piece or base of the valve or trap. This piece is tapped to admit of its being suitably connected to the steam coil or heater B, by means, for example, of a short pipe or tube, a, externally screwthreaded, and a is a channel or conduit communicating with the said tube. A hole or opening, b, is also made in the base. In' the upper face of the base-piece is a socket, c, and d is a tubular piece or evaporating-cup itted upon the piece A and extending above it, as Shown.

B is a drip-tube entering the opening b, and

C is a screw-coupler run Vupon the lower end of the said tube, and also upon the main portion e of the drippipe. rIhis coupler has internal screw-threads, and the meeting ends of the parts coupled by it are correspondingly screw-threaded. By these means I am enabled to couple the parts together firmly and with facility.

C is a U-shaped wire or rod made waving, as indicated at f, and also having the quality of being yielding, iiexible, or spring-like. The bow or bow-shaped end of this wire I set into the socket c, and secure it therein the manner hereinafter described. The upper ends ofthe wire C, Ifiatten, as shown at g.`

D isa iia tened tube notched at its lower end, as indicated at JL, to set down neatly over the bowed end of the wire C, after the latter has been arranged in the socket e. rThe lower end of this tube rests on the bottom of the said socket and incloses or encircles the opening a. After the said wire and tube have been-so arranged, I secure them in place by means of solder' i, (preferably hard solden) poured into the said socket.

E is the valve-plate, which is rigidly secured to the vupper end of the tube D, and E is the valve-opening. lThe upper ends or portions of the Vwire C pass freely through the plate E.

F is the head-piece or top plate. I secure this plate rigidly to the wire C by passing the flattened parts g g through correspondinglyformed holes in the said plate, and by turning the said iiattened parts down firmly upon the upper face of the said plate and solder them thereto.

Gisascrew, or adjustable valve opener and closer,y passing through the plate F and having its point adapted and arranged for closing andopeningtheopeningE. Extending downward from the screw or valve and rigidly attached thereto, or made in one part or piece therewith, is a reamer, G', passing down through but not iilling the valve-opening.

H is a cylinder on theplate E. Openings j j exist between the plate E and its cylinder. I is a removable cap :fitted upon theupperend of the said cylinder. The cylinder H, as will be perceived, is smaller in diameter than the cup d.

Some of the advantages resulting from the features of construction now described are as follows: By making the wire c U-shaped and IOO directly under the'said cylinder, the condensed steam or water which escapes or passes out through the valve, and which runs down on` the inside of the said cylinder: will drop into lthe said cup, where' it willlreadily evaporate as the cup may be left open to aid evaporation. That which runs down on the tube D and wire C will also run into the cup d.;

An outer tube or case may be dispensed with. Ideemthiscupespeciallyadvantageousincasesl where it may not be convenient to employ a drip-pi pe. or drain directly from the lower end of the device, as by extending the tube B directly into the bottom ofthe evaporating-cup, I facilitate construction,and also locate the drip-tube where itwill not' be as liable to injury and accidents as if more prominent or exposed. I also take the drip from a point at the base of the said cup d, and from the inside thereof.

It frequently occurs that the valve-opening becomes clogged and requires cleaning. By providing the valvescrew with a reaxner, in the manner shown and described, I am able to clean the valve-opening or to keep it open and unobstructed by occasionally turning the said screw back and forth sufciently for that purpose. The escaping steam will blow out the dirt or particles so loosened. The valve is operated by the contraction and expansion of the steam-tube under different degrees of heat, and has a yielding connection through the instrumentality of the wire C, with the base plate. The saidwire is also contractable and expansible, but lin different degree from the said tube.

In a pending application for Letters Patent for improvements inair-valves or steam-traps By taking the unevaporated drip;

tiled by me April 14, 1884, Serial No. 127,758, I have shown and described two waving wires or springs connecting the top plate and the base-piece. I have also shown therein a flattened steam-tubebas well as some minor features of construction which are not herein shown and described. I do not, therefore,here intend to claim, broadly, any features of construction which may be made the subj ect-matter of claims in the said pending application; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letv ters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in an air-valveorsteamtrap, of the U-shaped wire C', all made in one piece, and having waving or bent portionsf f, a plate attached to the ends of the said wire and carrying a valve opening and closing device, and the base-plate, also connected to the said wire, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination,in an air-valve orsteamtrap, of the evaporator-cup d, and the cylinder H, thelatter being arranged directly above,

and having a smaller diameter than the said cup, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, in a steamtrap or air- Valve, of a rotary and adjustable valve opener and closer, the reamer G', depending from the said opener-and closer, the valve-plate E, having therein the Valve-opening E', and the head-piece or top plate, F, carrying the said valve opener and closer, the said valve-plate and head-piece being attached, respectively, to metallic parts hav-ing unequal contraction and expansion under the iniiuence of heat, substantially as and for the purposes specitied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

.I AMES P. MARSH.

Witnesses F. F. VARNER, GEO. W. vUNDniawooD. 

